Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-04-09
BIZ WILLIAM I. HORNADAY,
Author OF 1.-TWO Years in the Jungle
Copyright, 1887. All rights reserved.}

Copyright, 1887. All rights reserved,
VI.
After the death OF our fourteenth buffalo there
time whenf seemed necessary for US TO leave
our fay0rite hunting ground quite undisturbed for
geel or 81, in order that the rest OF the buffalo
might work back into it. Accordingly, leaving
M;CaGna and West TO take care OF the camp, we
tu'ubied a small amount OF plumber into our
wagon drove our spare saddle horses ahead of Us,
AM, very early one morning, pulled over toward
the Musseisheu River, about p miles to the west.
There VAS good trail all the way, and, by the
time the afternoon sun WAS within an hour OF
se.EIng, We were atop OF the high ridge,
whica gave US our first view of our
promised land And truly the panorama that
lay spread ont before Us an enchanting one.
Three miles away ran the river. winding along be-
tween high bluffs, which alter0aTed with patches
of grey cottonwood and red willow that grew in
the narrow. lnvei bottom Up from both sides Of
the rivers course ran an endless succession OF great
yIwning ravineS, branching out as they assembled
the steep watershed into innumerabie smaller
rlvine until the eye was lost in their may intri-
cacies. IN in these rugged "breakS," as they are
called, hiding under a soft mantle OF green the
rOu-h features of deSOlate hill and hollow, lay
great patches OF evergreen woods. composed OF
pines and ced1rS- Those nearest US afforded re-
1reShi1r contrast with the barren ground that lay
between. bur in the distance they blended together
until the whole valley OF the river seemed to be
filled with evergreen woods. 1t was a perfect
VISUAL fes.St to Us all
slowly aud toilsomely we wound our way down
back" and, although IL seemed We would never get
down To the river, We finally reached the level
bottom and brought up short az the edge OF a per-
p6nd.cular bank Just as darkness completely en-
Ve!opsd US. We found ourselves in a regular
c,stcs-sGc with the river bank before us, either
side a dreadful waSh-Out reaching away up To-
ward the hills, and all w.5H banks 20 feet high and
aS straight the wall OF house It was too dark
10 nnG our way out 50 we camped right there In
order 70 reach the water that lay so temptingly
near We had 20 dig steps at a low point OF the
bank, so that both men and horses could tumble
down and scramble up again without actual risk
to bones or body But for once in our lives we had
plenty OF firewOOd. All about our camp lay huge
cottonwood trunks, dead and dry, and a roaring
campfire sprang up as If by magic. An abundance
OF good firewoOd was such luxury that with one
accord We all gathered it and piled on a cord
apiece, more or less, just TO enjoy the luxury OF
having enough The abundance OF pure, crystal
clear-runniDg water in the river, joined to the
supply OF firewood, made us feel we were quite
hooked up" as the cowboys say.
But the Injuries provided for US at that camp
ing place did no. end with wood and water. The
afternoon after our arrival young black-tail buck
came 5auntering leisurely down the bed of one OF
the waShOutS and just when it emerged upon the
pebby brink OF che river 10 take drink OF ice
water, Russell caught sight OF il and ended it's
career with a bullet from his Winchester. 1t fell
within fifty yards OF our campfire and being very
fat and tender, We Toasted ike commands. While
that carcass was still warm Jim McNaney rode
into camp with a young white-taled deer behind
his sadite, and thus another dainty was added to
our bill OF fare But even that was not ALL AS Ii
10 induce TO kill ourselves by gourInandiZng on
choice game, large flock OF wild geese came dur
river only 200 yards below our camp. We
paid them an early visit with the shotgun and
Killed three OF them, TWO or which were young,
tender and beautifully fat The next day was
Thanksgiving; the cold was 10 degrees below zero,
and, having no tent, Camped under the sky
only. Boyd got up at 3 O'Clock buiIc roaring fire.
dressed one OF the birds stuffed IL in CAPITAL style
and roasted IL in the Dutch oven At sunrise we sat
down 70 our Thanksgiving dinner OF savory roast
goose, cooked tomatoes Stewed apples. 1apjacks
syrup ana coffee IL was q feast MT for q king
and only wish YOU had been there to enjoy it.
ON the first days hunt jim McNaney and went
out together and struck into a big tract of ever
green timber which lay just east OF our CAMP 1t
was by all odds the strangeSt woodsI ever sat foot
IN The surface was an endless succession OF
little knobs and ridges, divided by a network OF
tnterlaeing guilieS- The ground was dry and
loose and as bare OF al grass and other plant-lre
as an ash pile. The Stunted cedars grew in little
cumEs. but not very thickly, gnarled, twisted and
eristang on ali sides with dead limos and roots
ready 70 snap OF at the slightest touch OFTEN
when cedar grows a knoll or ridge the dirt
ts washed from around It ike 50 much loose sand,
and the roots are left sticking out helplesSly In
In midair, where they are dead and dry directly
Many Of those 2OLfOOt cedarS that had died and
lost all their bark were twisted from lowest
tepnoSt JWlg as II some giant hand had twisted
them up out or excelsior wood fiber 1t struck
me that the trees IN Dante'S Inferno must have
looked just Ike these-stunted, gnarled, twisted,
blasted, scraggy, worthless, and even dismal to
look upon IL takes a stout heart and clear con-
science TO hunt all day amid such surroundings
without feeling OF depression.
Here and there this wretched stuff is replaced by
genuine pine woods; and even though the trees
tl.
tuee. Their big brown cones that lie Scatterei
th1ek1y over the ground are good 10 look upon.
Jim and soon got separated, and we did not
enough 70 hide silently through the openings with
the horses tread mufied in the loose earth it was
now and then. Deer tracks Mere nnmern,s ~" ana
presently Old Brownie and came upon the fresh
tssA q an eik As II was only about six hours
ca Ce started 70 follow II, just fer the fun OF il to
sc What would turn up. The trail led straight
toward Dur camp, but before we had gone hall a
oossrsed By ne sun fesner tracks Of a RaI im
mems grkzU. "Now," thought i, 'shere is my
60g.os grizzly, at last. The impression OF the
pfoa0 pear shaped SOLE and OF every toe and claw
poans vas Len most clearly and pOintedly In the
loose 500, e big gorilla or Hottentot had been
stroaa1g taas way. and they hled my soul with
hind Ms vas u inches hong, and wide at the
widest par But each man In our crowd was am
feeling q genuing tnankfuness that turned old
Brownie upon the trail or the grizzly, and made
BefDss W had gone two hundred yards. our soul
81 TWO more grizzlies, and joined the set was fol-
1ett so many white feathers sprouting On my back
feAged some OF the cowpunchers might come
ngnf here, thai whoever looks lightly 1 ON the
.nun waite. Of grizzly bear does himself great
6t1st1ca It Is weu-known fact that a gf1zzly
VA ngn6 circular saw any time and give it two
Hcks ahead. IL Is also stated on good scientific
authority thar . grizzly bear has been knowE 10
A6uS Ills own SHADOW.
once ventured 10 track up big tiger On foot
and almost alone, contrary 10 all orthodox rules
'Cf tlger-huntlng, but IL was a tame experience
compared with following up those three grizzlies
j dsmOunted, tied Old Brownie 10 q cedar and
went ahead on foot, so that could successfully
sneak up on my game, provided came up with IT,
AND nervous WORK IL was, 100, let NE ted you
Usually could see about thirty yards ia ADVANCE
bVt many thick evergreen that Law close TO the
trai could have screened the biggest grizzly that
ever lived wished most feryentiy for nv part
1ers company, and also for gatling gun but as
IL Was feIt a. II was going 70 my own funeral
II loh0sec the tran Tor nearly a mile / think
eyts, ears ana winchester at fun cock. and at
LAST, IL tOok plunge into the head of an awful
ra'lne, deep, steep-sded. and Clicked with bushes
and tangleu masses OF juniper. felt fnstfnctiyely
that the game was there but not for the throne
have followed even big grizzly into that place
70 say nothing OF the two assistant pyrizzIfes As
the EnsIlSh say, Il funked H. very efnphaIica,ly
tOoh the back track ana kept IL until got 10 nv
horse IL was The nrsj time that ever left trail
because i was afraid To follow IL
The next day L took Russell with me and We
went back 20 that place on roOc We took up the
trail again and followed IL through that tangled
ravine, but found no bears Perhaps it was I,icky
for Us that We didn't We followed the tracks for
hours until they struck hard ground and then
being unable 10 see the trail, We gave IL I'D Dur
Ing the I'VE days we spent on the MuSselshell we
carcass S or three COWS that had been Killed and
eaten; but never once sighted a grizzly In that
region they are now scarce and hard 10 ind. IJ
was the same case with elk. We found fresh elk
track now and then, and great many pairs OF old
elk antlerS, bleached white chalk, but never